Earlier today at a press conference in Los Angeles, Film Independent enlisted John Boyega and Elizabeth Olsen to announce their 31st Spirit Award nominees. (However, as Deadline explains, due to a technical glitch, the nominees were actually listed in advance of the conference, clearly leading to the embitterment of those who’d attended in hopes of breaking the news first.) Regardless of how or when news of the announcements rolled out, Film Independent Spirit Awards news is often good news, and their latest round of nominees sees them honoring films many of us would like to see (but cannot necessarily count on seeing) on some of the larger awards lists this year. In choosing their shortlists, the organization was looking for films that were “a testament to the strength, vitality and diversity of independent, artist-driven filmmaking,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh.

Spotlight, which Flavorwire’s Jason Bailey called a “whip-smart, gripping, electrifying… incredible film,” is receiving the Robert Altman Award, which goes to one director, casting director and ensemble, and honors the power of well-conceived ensemble films. Welsh said of the decision to bestow the award on the team behind Spotlight:

Spotlight is a remarkable film that excels on every level, but the Nominating Committee thought it was especially deserving of the Robert Altman Award…The film is beautifully cast with every member of the ensemble working together to tell the story of the Boston Globe investigating allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, the list of nominees for Best Feature is just as exciting, featuring the likes of Carol, Tangerine, Beasts of No Nation and Charlie Kaufman’s upcoming stop-motion romance, Anomalisa. The awards are honoring some of the most memorable performances of the year (many of which were from the list of films above), including newcomer Abraham Attah for his turn as a child soldier in Beasts of No Nation, Cate Blanchett for Carol, Bel Powley for Diary of a Teenage Girl and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez for Tangerine. Below is the full list of the nominees, courtesy of Film Independent. (Winners will be announced at a ceremony on February 27, which will be broadcast on IFC.)